The Native Star Light Fashion Show at Fashion Week MNwill feature couture and streetwear designs from the fashion houses of I Am Anishinaabe, of the Leech Lake Band in Onigum, Minnesota, Osamuskwasis, of the Cree Nation in Alberta, Canada and Lauren Good Day of the Mandan, Hidasta/Arikara Nations of Fort Berthold, North Dakota.
Delina White of I Am Anishinaabe is producing the event with support from Northern Community Radio and the MN Arts and Cultural Heritage fund. She’s woven native culture and inspiration thru the entire experience that includes music, food, a marketplace, and fashion! In this segment she discusses the designers included in the style show as well as the inspiration behind and the response to the Native Star Light theme.
The theme of Fashion Week, Minnesota is Shine…And I was thinking … stars and star lights…there's a lot of connections to all native tribes... Even though they're very different, some things are very much the same… a lot of the things that go into producing this show have that substance or that element or that belief in those values incorporated…talking to people and getting them on board about what it is that we're trying to do is really exciting because they make a connection then to their tribal values and their tribal beliefs.
…all of the underlying philosophy, the values and the beliefs…we all have that understanding…this is our theme, and it's across the board… it is going to have a cohesive, streamlined narrative to it. And it's going to become obvious because I will do an introduction in the beginning, and I'm going to talk about the stars, what our connection is to the stars, some things to think about…We're always looking down and it's good that we have our connection to the mother Earth…but we neglect to think about the sun and the stars and the moon … They are so much a part of everything.
Every day when we look out into the horizon, we see it and it's just a natural thing that we become kind of oblivious to it and very much aware and make ourselves look up and just think about the vastness of creation in the universe and the connection to our surroundings. we don't pay attention, but we have to be very cognizant and very much aware and make ourselves look up and just think about the vastness of creation in the universe and the connection to our surroundings…that's a part of making you feel grateful, making you feel connected to not only the world, but to each other and to bring our beliefs out and to share it with everybody so that we can make a connection across ethnicities and nationalities and global distances. – Delina White, I Am Anishinaabe
Clickhere for tickets to the Native Star Light Fashion Show or visit iamanishinaabe.com!
